How to Transform Your Homeschooling Household

Leadership gurus often note that if we do not live by a vision, we will end up living by the calendar. While not having a problem with this observation, neither do I have a big problem living by the calendar. Why? Events that become burned into the psyche of a nation last because of their power, sentiment, or purpose. Can you imagine an America’s calendar year without Christmas, Easter, July 4th, or Thanksgiving?

I would suggest that America really needs Thanksgiving. No, we don’t need the calories nor do we want to see the Detroit Lions lose again. What we do need, however, is the constant reminder of the importance of being thankful. Thankful for what? Thankful for every blessing that God sends our way.

One reason we should always be thankful is that the bible commands it.

First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions,
and thanksgivings be made for all people, —1 Tim. 2:1

Even though Paul was beaten numerous times and spent more than one night in the sea, he told Timothy to always be praying and to always be thankful. I realize many of us always want to know the “Why?” behind God’s mind, but just the fact that God’s word commands a certain activity should be reason enough.

Second, our thanksgiving gives God glory:

For it is all for your sake, so that as grace extends to more and more people
it may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God. —2 Cor. 4:15

According to the Westminster Confession, one of our main purposes as Christians is to glorify God. Most people think about what benefits them before what is a blessing to God. Every time we choose to thank God for what He does, we are bringing Him honor and glory. We can NEVER go wrong in seeking to bring God glory.

A third reason to focus on thanksgiving is that it minimizes our anxiety:

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication
with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. —Phil 4:6

Thanksgiving naturally causes us to look outside of ourselves to something higher than us. When we have a big God, we tend to have smaller problems. If, however, we are concentrating on our problems instead of our God, the problems come at us like a tsunami, growing with every passing day. While thanksgiving is not a cure-all from the pressures of life, it does give us proper perspective knowing that a sovereign God rules over every circumstance.

Instead of giving prayer prompts this month, I am going to ask you some questions that reflect the level of thanksgiving in your personal life, marriage, and family. Your answers will dictate your prayer request for your family. I hope your family can have meaningful conversations about these things, especially if your children are teens on up.

1. On a sliding scale from 1 – 10, 1 being very little, how much thanksgiving do you hear in your home?
2. How often do you hear your children express thanksgiving for their home and upbringing verses griping about how things are done?
3. How often do your children express gratitude for being homeschooled? (Obviously this is age appropriate. You or your spouse might use this as an opportunity to share some of the benefits of homeschooling of which they are unaware.)
4. How much do you complain about your spouse versus telling him/her how thankful you are for all he/she does?
5. How often do you hear your children criticizing or blaming another sibling versus demonstrating a certain level of gratitude for them, including their strengths and idiosyncrasies?
6. Is your family grateful for the church/pastor that feeds them spiritually or do they constantly talk about what is wrong with both?
7. How often do you think or communicate to your family thoughts about the glory of God? His goodness? His mercies? His faithfulness over the years? His blessings? His plan for everyone’s lives?
8. How much do you complain about your finances, lifestyles, and opportunities as opposed to thanking God for a warm and dry house, plenty of food to eat, and the job you have.
9. How much fear, worry, and anxiety are expressed about the future as opposed to the past faithfulness of God?
10. Do your children expect an easy life or are they cultivating a relationship with Christ that will give them strength and grace during any potential season of disappointment?
11. Are your children quick to volunteer to help around the house or do they complain or move like molasses?
12. Do they think Mom or others for meals, or do they take them for granted? Likewise, do sisters appreciate when their brothers clean the snow off the car in the winter and or start it up so it is warm for the ladies of the house?
13. How often do your children compliment how each other looks or do they poke fun or criticize the smallest thing.
14. Do they celebrate each other’s victory or is their resentment, jealousy, or sarcasm in their voice?

While not being a complete list, these question act like a barometer of your home. If/When you see negative behavior in any of these areas, I think it proper to confess the lack of gratitude in your home. Ask God for grace to be more grateful. Your children probably don’t realize their lack of thanksgiving. This month would be a perfect time to teach them its importance. You can consider praying some of the following verses:

• giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, —Eph. 5:20
• And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. —Col. 3:17
• proclaiming thanksgiving aloud, and telling all your wondrous deeds. —Psalms 26:7
• Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, —Hebrews 12:28
• give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. —1 Thes. 5:18
• I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart; I will recount all of your wonderful deeds. —Psalms 9:1
• I will praise the name of God with a song; I will magnify him with thanksgiving. —Psalms 69:30
• But we your people, the sheep of your pasture, will give thanks to you forever; from generation to generation we will recount your praise. —Psalms 79:13
• It is good to give thanks to the Lord, to sing praises to your name, O Most High; -Psalms 92:1
• But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. —1 Cor. 15:7